PRESS STATEMENT
The Chinese government’s policies in Tibet fundamentally conflict with the genuine aspirations of the Tibetan people. Particularly, the education policy in Tibet is being weaponised to impose Chinese Communist ideology on Tibetans. Under its broader agenda of Sinicizing Tibet, approximately one million Tibetan children have been forcibly admitted into the state-run boarding schools, separating them from their parents and ancestral language and culture. The medium of instruction in these schools has been changed to Chinese, continuing to eradicate the Tibetan language and culture. Recently, it has planned to make Tibetan language optional in middle and high school examinations, effectively denying Tibetan youth opportunities for higher education and employment, and making it impossible for them to preserve their national identity. As these actions severely violate fundamental human rights, through this 8th Tibetan General Conference on Education organised by the Department of Education, Central Tibetan Administration, we strongly condemn the Chinese government’s hardline policies in Tibet and call for an immediate end to these oppressive measures.
Although Tibetans in exile constitute only a small fraction of the total Tibetan population, under the visionary leadership and guidance of His Holiness the Great 14th Dalai Lama – manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, sovereign of the entire Buddha’s teachings on earth, the protector of all Tibetan people, and our supreme leader – we have achieved remarkable success in preserving and promoting Tibetan religion, culture, and language. Among Tibetans who arrived later and denied access to suitable education in Tibet, 27,083 have joined monasteries and religious institutions while 34,866 Tibetan children have enrolled in schools that offer both traditional and modern education. Additionally, 100% of Tibetan children born in exile have access to education in Tibetan language and culture. All Tibetans, young and old, have been provided with better opportunities and facilities to learn and practice Tibetan language, religion and culture than those available in some independent nations.
All Tibetans living in free countries must deeply value the guidance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and, inspired by the unwavering determination and courage of Tibetans inside Tibet, strive harder than ever to preserve and promote our religion, culture, and language. We urge everyone to redouble their efforts in safeguarding this invaluable world heritage and upholding the unique identity of the Tibetan people.